Ash-pan.



No. 639,729. Patented Dec. 26, I899. W. C. HOLTSCLAW.

ASH PAN.

(Application filed Oct. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

WVILLIAM OALHOON HOLTSOLAW, OF NEWPORT, TENNESSEE.

ASH-PAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,729, dated December6, 899- Application filed October 18, 1898. Serial No- 693,896. [lilomodel.)

ceedingly cheap and simple device from which the ashes or other contentscan be quickly and easily discharged whenever desired; and anotherobject is to provide means for holding the parts of the pan togetheruntil it is desired to discharge the contents; and with these objects inview the invention consists, essentially, of a pan having a hinged sideadapted to swing down or out.

The invention consists in a spring-catch adapted to contact with thebail for carrying the pan, whereby when said bail is in an up rightposition the catches will be thrown inwardly and released when the saidbail is thrown down.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction andnovelties of combination, all of which will be fully describedhereinafter and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is atransverse vertical section of an ash-pan constructed in accordance withmy invention, the hinged side being thrown down. Fig. 2 is a transversevertical section, the side being closed. Fig. 3 is an end View showingthe spring-catch, and Fig. 4 is an end view showing the position of theparts when the catch is released.

In carrying out my invention I employ a box or receptacle A, formed ofsheet metal or other suitable material, said box or receptacle having anopen side, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The side B is hingedupon a rod C, which extends from one end of the box to another along theopen side, and in this manner the side B is hinged to the box A and canbe readily raised or lowered, as desired, and when raised it is heldclosed by means of spring-catches D, which are secured to the ends ofthe pan or box at a point beyond the pivotal point of the bail. The endsof the bail are pivoted to the ends of the pan at points below the bodyof the spring-catch D. The body of the spring-catch D is made with anoutward swell or curve D adjacent to the fastened end, which swell isadapted to contact with the bail when said bail is raised to an uprightposition, and when the bail contacts with this swell portion the freeends of the spring-catches are forced inwardly and securely hold theopen sides; but when the bail is thrown down to a horizontal position,

as shown in Fig. 4, the ends of the springcatches spring outwardly andrelease the side.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

An improved ash pan or receptacle comprising a pan having a hinged side,of the springcatches attached to the ends, and having heads adapted tooverlap and hold the hinged side, said spring-catches having a swell orcurved portion, and the bail pivoted to the

